Kooma Elder Wayne Coco Wharton has officially launched his campaign for the Queensland Senate as a candidate for the Indigenous Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA) in the upcoming Federal Election.
He is urging all YES voters from the Voice referendum to place the IAPA's number one above the line, a move he believes will help elevate the political representation of Indigenous peoples.
A seasoned Aboriginal rights campaigner, Mr Wharton stressed the urgency of establishing a genuine Indigenous voice in the Australian Parliament.
He called for a voice in Parliament, advocating for community-led representation with voting power rather than an advisory body.
He has been preselected by the IAPA as the number one candidate for the Senate in Queensland.
"Our goal is to have a grassroots Indigenous voice in Parliament and Government," Mr Wharton said.
He added that his vision is to break down the institutional barriers that continue to prevent Indigenous people from thriving in their own country.
"We stand for unity, regardless of how you identify," he said.
Mr Wharton explained his vision for unity was rooted in the broader struggle against systemic racism and oppression that has long been a barrier for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.
Mr Wharton also made a statement on Indigenous Sovereignty, referencing the landmark Mabo decision that recognised the continuing existence of native title.
He argued that sovereignty was never ceded on this land, and that the Federal Court's decision reaffirmed this fundamental truth.
"It is time to decide whether we want a one-state solution or a 301-state solution," Mr Wharton said, calling for equal representation for the 300 Indigenous Sovereign Nations across the country.
He went on to call for unionists and their leaders to reflect on the long history of solidarity between the workers' movement and the Indigenous rights movement, urging them to use the energy from the Voice referendum campaign to support Indigenous candidates in the upcoming election.
"We need good people to give us their first preference to focus on a positive agenda that can deliver liberation, freedom, and restitution for First Nations peoples," Mr Wharton said.
Mr Wharton made a heartfelt appeal for the support of Australians who are open-minded and who believe in the cause of justice for Indigenous peoples.
"Our liberation and freedom will only come with the help of Australians with good hearts and open minds," he said.
He is also seeking both financial and solidarity support for his candidacy.
Mr Wharton's campaign centres around the critical need for structural change to empower Indigenous communities, bringing Indigenous voices directly into the halls of power.
